Firestarter
by Crescent Dreamweaver
Summary: The members of Mutant X discover a teenage girl with the ability to create and control fire. *Complete*
1. Prologue: A Worthless Freak

FIRESTARTER  
  
by  
  
Crescent Dreamweaver  
  
email: catz4dog1@aol.com  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Mutant X, it belongs to Marvel Studios and Tribune Entertainment, the only characters that belong to me are the ones who aren't from the tv show, and I make no money from this fic. ::passes out from lack of oxygen::  
  
Synopsis: Adam and the rest of Mutant X discover a teenage girl with the ability to create and control fire.  
  
Note: This first chapter is a bit angsty.  
  
* *= indicates emphasized words  
  
-- --= indicates a person's thoughts  
  
Let the story begin!  
  
* * *  
  
Prologue: A Worthless Freak  
  
Seventeen year old Aurora Hawkins had always thought that parties with booze were only given by football players after every game that they won. But never, not in a million years, would she have thought that an after- show cast party for everyone who was in theatre at school would have alcoholic beverages of any kind.  
  
But here she was, at a cast party, holding a margarita, and gingerly sipping it, so as not to give herself a headache.  
  
"Hey, Rora," called Christa Evans from across the room. "You want some Bailey's Irish Cream? It's really good." (I'm not kidding. I've had Bailey's Irish Cream Dream, which is a really good fondue dessert. It's rich dark chocolate, with Bailey's Irish Cream mixed in. Dip a strawberry or a banana in it, and you're in absolute heaven.)  
  
Aurora shook her head, absentmindedly brushing her red-gold bangs out of her eyes. "No thanks, Christa," she replied, and held up her margarita. "I'm still good to go."  
  
Christa made a face at her. "Your loss, Rora."  
  
Aurora took another sip of her margarita, and grimaced slightly at the bitter taste of the rum in it. Her boyfriend, Jason Kensley, sat down next to her, and they began talking about how well everyone had done on the play.  
  
Suddenly, there was a knock at the front door. Jessica Reynolds, who had just arrived at the party, went to answer the door.  
  
Serena Hawkins glowered at the teenage girl who had answered the door. She wore a hot pink tank top with spagetti straps, and a pair of sparkly jeans that flared at the bottom. "May I help you, ma'am?" the girl asked politely.  
  
"You're damn right you can help me," Serena snapped. "I'm here for my daughter. Where is she, you little juvenile delinquent?" Suddenly, she spotted Aurora sitting on the couch, holding a margarita and talking to a boy her age. Serena stormed into the house and grabbed her daughter by the arm, yanking her off the couch. "You little slut!" she snarled. "So this is what you do in your spare time! Getting drunk and playing doctor!" She dragged a struggling Aurora to the front door. "I have half a mind to turn you over to the police!"  
  
"Let me go!" yelled Aurora. "Mom, let go of me!"  
  
"When we get home, I plan on telling your father what you've been doing! He'll give you the belt, that's what he'll do!" shouted her mother furiously.  
  
"NO!" screamed Aurora in terror, knowing full well what her father would do to her. Jeremiah Hawkins had an extremely short temper, and whenever Aurora got into trouble, he would pull off his big leather belt and beat her with it as hard as he could.  
  
"Oh, yes," her mother said, a sadistic gleam in her eye. "Then you're going to get thrown out of the house! No slut will ever live under my roof!" She dragged Aurora out the door, and slammed it shut behind her.  
  
A moment later, Christa broke the silence that had fallen over the party. "I am so glad that my parents aren't like that," she said in obvious relief. "No wonder she doesn't have any friends over to her house, if that's an example of what her parents are like."  
  
Everyone nodded in agreement.  
  
* * *  
  
As her mother dragged her down the sidewalk, Aurora struggled to get free of her grasp. Frantically, she tried to think of a way to make her mother release her, but her mind was completely blank at the moment.  
  
"Let me go!" she screamed. "LET ME GO!" Suddenly, her eyes unfocused, and Serena's arm burst into flame. She let go of her daughter, screaming and trying to put out the flames.  
  
Aurora stepped away from her, stunned. Then she ran inside and grabbed a glass of water. She ran back outside and threw the water onto the flames, dousing them. Her mother shook her arm slightly, shaking the water off. Then she looked up at Aurora, her eyes burning with hatred.  
  
"I should have known," Serena spat. "You're not just a slut; you're a freak! You're a worthless freak!" She opened the backseat of the car, and shoved Aurora inside. "When we get home, I'm going to make sure that your father beats you until you're dead!" With that, she drove off.  
  
* * *  
  
Claire Wilcox saw the whole thing from her house across the street. She immediately realized that the teenage girl was a New Mutant. --What else could she possibly be?-- she thought. Claire herself was a New Mutant, and her power was telekinesis. But somehow, she doubted that she could use her powers to save the girl. Then she smiled. There was only one man who could rescue that girl.  
  
Claire crossed the room to the phone, picked up the receiver, and dialed the number of Sanctuary. It rang once, and then was answered.  
  
"Hello?" came an unfamilar female voice.  
  
"Is Adam there?" Claire asked.  
  
"Who is this?" the young woman asked suspiciously.  
  
"Claire Wilcox, also known as Floater," said Claire, giving both her real name and her code name. "Who are you?"  
  
When she said that, Claire could have sworn that she heard a sigh of relief come from the other end of the phone line.  
  
"Emma DeLauro, also known as Rapport," replied the young woman, responding the same way.  
  
"Emma, I need to speak with Adam," Claire said. "Is he there?"  
  
"Just a moment," Emma replied. A second later, Claire heard her shout, "Hey, Adam, do you know a woman named Claire Wilcox?"  
  
"Yeah," Claire heard a male voice reply near the phone.  
  
"Well, she wants to talk to you," Emma said. Claire heard her hand the phone to someone else.  
  
A moment later, Adam's warm voice came on the line. "Hello?"  
  
"Adam?" said Claire. "It's Claire. There's a New Mutant near my house."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Well, other than the fact that she made a person's arm burst into flames. Fortunately, she had the common sense to get some water and douse the flames."  
  
"Well, that's good. Do you know where she lives?"  
  
Claire shook her head. "Not a clue, Curly." She smiled faintly. She didn't have to see Adam to know that he was grimacing.  
  
"Don't call me that."  
  
Claire grinned mischieviously. "Sure thing, Curly."  
  
"Don't call me that!"  
  
Claire fought back a laugh. "Sorry, Adam. I couldn't resist." Then she changed the subject. "Is there a way for you to track her?"  
  
"Yes, there is. But we don't have a whole lot to go on, other than the fact that she's a teenage girl."  
  
"Well, she was at a party across the street from my house. I can go there and find out who she is, and where she lives," Claire replied. Then she grinned again. "See you later, Curly."  
  
"ARGH!"  
  
In the background, Claire could hear snickers and giggling. She laughed, and hung up. She opened the front door, and walked outside, shutting the door behind her. Then she walked across the street to the house where the party was at. She knocked on the front door, and it was opened a moment later by a teenage girl wearing a red t-shirt and a black leather miniskirt. She looked slightly apprehensive when she saw Claire standing there.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked nervously.  
  
"I'm Claire Wilcox. I live across the street." The teenage girl flushed slightly.  
  
"Sorry if we're disturbing your sleep," she said apologetically. "We'll turn the music down a few notches." Claire shook her head.  
  
"Kid, the level of music is fine. That's not why I'm here. I need to ask you about a girl your age who was dragged away from this party by a woman old enough to be her mother."  
  
The teenage girl relaxed visibly. "That was Aurora Hawkins, and the woman who dragged her away was her mother." She shuddered. "God, I am *so* glad that my mom's not like that. She called Rora a slut just because she saw her sitting on the couch, talking with her boyfriend. She dragged her out the front door, saying that she was going to tell Rora's father that she was getting drunk and playing doctor, and that he would give her the belt. That scared the piss out of Rora, because she screamed and tried to get away from her mother. Then her mother told her that after that was done, she was going to throw her out of the house, because she refused to have a slut living under her roof."  
  
"Well, don't worry. I've got a friend who can get her away from her parents. Can you tell me where she lives?"  
  
The teenage girl nodded, and gave her the address. Claire thanked her, and left. She ran back over to her house and punched in the number of Sanctuary as fast as she could without making a mistake.  
  
The phone rang once, and then Adam answered. "Have you got a name and address?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, I do. Her name's Aurora Hawkins, and she lives at 11 Eastwick Street, about five blocks from my house. And I suggest you and the rest of Mutant X get your asses over there, because I've got a feeling that something bad is happening to her."  
  
"We're on it." The line went dead, and Claire hung up, leaning against the wall.  
  
"Dear god, I hope they get there in time," she whispered.  
  
* * *  
  
Aurora screamed in pain as her father's leather belt connected with her bare back for the tenth time. She was facing the basement wall, her hands tied above her head. Her father had made her take her clothing off before he started beating her. --He is such a sadist-- she thought unhappily.  
  
"Stop it!" she screamed. "Stop hurting me!"  
  
Jeremiah slapped his daughter across the face. "I won't stop until you've bled to death, you little freak!" he shouted angrily. "You ungrateful little wretch! Your mother and I put clothing on your back and food in your stomach, and in return, you set your mother on fire!"  
  
Suddenly, the basement door opened, but Jeremiah ignored it, figuring it was Serena, coming downstairs to watch him punish Aurora. He raised his arm to bring the belt down on her back again, but before he could, something grabbed him by the arm, and yanked him backwards, flinging him against the wall.  
  
Aurora whimpered in pain, fully expecting her father to bring the belt down on her back again, but instead, she felt someone untie the ropes binding her wrists. She stumbled, but someone caught her.  
  
"Don't worry," the person said soothingly. "You're safe now." The rest of the person's words faded away as Aurora fell into unconsciousness.  
  
* * *  
  
Adam, Emma, Shalimar Fox, Brennan Mulwray, and Jesse Kilmartin had been expecting the worst when they got to Aurora Hawkins' house, but nothing could have prepared them for what they encountered when they got there.  
  
A woman in her early forties answered the door. She had short red hair and green eyes, and wore a t-shirt and jeans. She looked out at the members of Mutant X curiously, but her gaze hardened slightly when it landed on Emma and Shalimar.  
  
"May I help you?" she asked politely.  
  
"Are you Mrs. Hawkins?" Adam asked.  
  
"Yes, I am."  
  
"We need to speak with your daughter. Is she here?"  
  
Mrs. Hawkins' gaze hardened even more. "No, she is not. Now, get off my property this moment, or I'll call the police."  
  
Suddenly, a scream of pain came from the basement.  
  
"Stop it!" screamed a young woman. "Stop hurting me!"  
  
"I won't stop until you've bled to death, you little freak!" shouted a male voice. "You ungrateful little wretch! Your mother and I put clothing on your back and food in your stomach, and in return, you set your mother on fire!"  
  
Adam, Emma, Shalimar, Jesse, and Brennan pushed past Mrs. Hawkins, and ran to the basement door. She stepped in front of the door, and tried to stop them from going downstairs.  
  
"You can't go downstairs!" she said angrily. "I forbid it!" Shalimar's eyes glowed yellow for an instant, and Mrs. Hawkins' eyes widened in shock. "You're a freak, too!" she cried.  
  
Shalimar shoved Mrs. Hawkins out of the way, and then yanked the basement door open. Adam ran downstairs, and saw a man in his mid-forties standing in front of a figure hanging by her hands from the ceiling, beating her relentlessly with a large leather belt. In the dim glow of the basement's single lightbulb, Adam could see that the figure was that of a naked teenage girl with long red hair, facing the basement wall.  
  
The man, who Adam assumed was her father, raised his arm to bring the belt down on her back again, but before he could, Shalimar ran over there, grabbed him by the arm, and flung him against the wall. Adam ran over to Aurora, and untied her hands from the ceiling. She stumbled, and he caught her before she could fall down.  
  
"It's okay," he said soothingly. "You're safe now. We're going to get you out of here." He doubted that Aurora had heard those words, because her eyes were closed. Adam removed his jacket and wrapped it around her figure. Then he lifted her into his arms, and carried her over to the basement steps. "Jesse, Brennan, Shalimar, Emma, I've got her. Let's get out of here."  
  
Jesse, Brennan, and Shalimar all followed him, but Emma stayed behind for a few minutes, glaring down at Aurora's father.  
  
"Emma, come on," called Shalimar.  
  
Emma kicked Mr. Hawkins solidly in the side. "Asshole." Then she ran after the rest of the team.  
  
As they left the house, they heard sirens approaching. "Sounds like someone's called in the cavalry," said Jesse.  
  
"Good," said Emma in a low voice. "I hope they get locked up for life."  
  
"I don't blame you," Shalimar said, glancing over at her. The five members of Mutant X went behind the house where the Helix was waiting, and boarded the silver jet. A few seconds later, the Helix lifted into the air, and flew away.  
  
* * *  
  
Serena staggered out of the front door of her house, gingerly feeling her head. She winced when her finger encountered a painful bump there from when she had been shoved aside by that blond freak with the glowing eyes.  
  
"Those freaks," she muttered angrily. "They're going to pay for what they've done to me and my husband."  
  
Suddenly, several police cars drove up, lights flashing. Serena blinked in surprise.  
  
One of the policemen approached her. "Are you Serena Hawkins?"  
  
"Yes, I am." The police officer shoved her up against the side of her house, handcuffing her hands behind her back. "Hey! Let me go!"  
  
"Mrs. Hawkins, you and your husband are under arrest for the attempted murder of your daughter Aurora," the police officer said. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you. You have the right to an attorney. You may either choose one yourself, or the court will choose one for you." A couple of the policemen went inside the house, and came back out again a few minutes later with Jeremiah in handcuffs.  
  
Serena glared at the police officer angrily. --This is all Aurora's fault! If I ever see her again, I'll kill her!-- she thought furiously.  
  
to be continued...  
  
* * *  
  
A/N: I plan on having Claire appear in the entire story. How many people think I should have a romance form between her and Adam? Anyhoo, please R&R, but no flames, 'cause otherwise I'll have to kick your sorry arses from here to Middle Earth. See ya! 


	2. Chapter One: At Sanctuary

Note: I made a mistake in the prologue. I referred to the jet as just the Helix, but it's the Double Helix. My bad, folks.  
  
Chapter 1: At Sanctuary  
  
**flashback**  
  
Serena opened the back door and grabbed Aurora, dragging her out of the backseat of the car.  
  
"Come on, you little freak!" she hissed. "Time to pay the piper." She dragged Aurora inside the house. "Jeremiah?" she called out. "You home, hon?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm in the kitchen," he replied.  
  
"Do you know what I caught our daughter doing just a little while ago?" Serena demanded. Jeremiah came out of the kitchen, holding a sandwich.  
  
"What'd Rora do?" he asked, giving his daughter a dark look.  
  
"I caught her getting drunk and playing doctor! And then, as I was bringing her out to the car, she set my arm on fire!" Serena thrust her singed arm out for Jeremiah to see. He took one look at it, and backhanded Aurora across the face.  
  
"You little bitch!" he snarled. "You're gonna get the beating of your life!" He dropped his sandwich, and grabbed Aurora by the upper arm, dragging her down to the basement. As soon as they got down there, Jeremiah grabbed some rope, which was lying in a coil on the floor. "Take your clothes off," he ordered.  
  
Frightened by the look in his eyes, Aurora did as she was told. Her father spun her around to face the basement wall, and then tied her hands to the ceiling.  
  
He raised his hand to strike her with his belt, and a moment later, Aurora felt it connect with her bare back. She screamed in pain. For the next five minutes, the air was filled with the sound of leather and metal connecting with flesh, and the screams of pain and agony that came from Aurora's throat.  
  
"Stop it!" she screamed finally. "Stop hurting me!"  
  
Her father backhanded her across the face. "I won't stop until you've bled to death, you little freak!" her father shouted. "You ungrateful little wretch! Your mother and I have put clothes on your back and food in your stomach, and in return, you set your mother's arm on fire!"  
  
He raised his arm to bring his belt down on her back again, and Aurora closed her eyes, anticipating the blow. But it never came.  
  
**flashback**  
  
Aurora felt fingers prodding at her back, and she screamed.  
  
"Take it easy!" she heard someone say sharply. "We're just trying to help you!" Aurora opened her eyes, and looked up. She found herself staring into a pair of blue-grey eyes that were filled with concern. They were in the face of a young woman who was only a few years older than her, with short brown hair that fell into her eyes.  
  
"It's okay," the lady said soothingly. "You're not at your house anymore. You're safe now."  
  
"Where the hell am I?" asked Aurora, wincing slightly as her injured back was prodded by gentle fingers.  
  
"You're at Sanctuary." Aurora snorted.  
  
"Oh, that's original. Let me guess; this place used to be a Catholic church with a hunchback swinging back and forth on the bells."  
  
The lady snickered. "Not hardly. This place is a safe haven for people like us."  
  
Aurora was instantly on her guard. "What do you mean, 'people like us'?" she asked cautiously.  
  
"People with extraordinary powers."  
  
"Oh, you mean like my ability to set people on fire?" Aurora replied bitterly. The lady was silent for a moment, and then spoke.  
  
"Your power is not solely to set people on fire," she said.  
  
"It's not?" The lady shook her head. "Well, that's comforting. So what in the nine hells *is* my power?!"  
  
"You have the ability to project thermal energy," someone said from beside Aurora. She looked over her shoulder at the speaker. He was an older man, with curly brown hair and brown eyes. He wore solid black: black shirt, black pants, black shoes. The only clothing he wore that wasn't black was the lab coat that he had on over his regular clothing.  
  
Aurora blinked slightly. "You mean I have the ability to create and control fire?"  
  
The man looked surprised, and then grinned. "You're one of the first New Mutants that I've met who didn't need me to translate that into regular English."  
  
Aurora shrugged. "Well, thermal's another word for 'heat', so I just put two and two together. I was right, wasn't I?"  
  
The man nodded. "Right in one. Now, try and hold still. We're treating your injuries, but it can't be done if you're moving around." He began prodding at her back again, and Aurora noticed that he was being more gentle about it. Suddenly, his fingers connected with an extremely painful spot, and she screamed as pain lanced through her. The man immediately removed his hands from her back. "There's something broken there," he said. "Computer, begin scan." Two beams of yellow light shone down from the ceiling, and ran over Aurora's body. She shivered slightly, and the beams disappeared a few seconds later. "You've got a couple of bones back there that are broken, but they're easily fixed."  
  
"Let me guess," said Aurora wryly. "I've got to stay still and not move for the next two days so that my injuries can heal."  
  
"Actually, it would probably be best if it was four days," the man replied absentmindedly. "Maybe five or six, at the most."  
  
Aurora's jaw dropped. "You've got to be kidding. I can't stay cooped up in one place for that long; I'll go insane!"  
  
The man lifted an eyebrow. "Then I guess you'll have to go insane, won't you?"  
  
Aurora growled low in her throat. "If I could move without hurting myself, I would *so* beat the living crap out of you."  
  
The man smiled faintly. "Don't worry, Aurora. You won't be bored. You'll have plenty of magazines to read, and I'll have a television brought in here."  
  
Aurora sighed. "Fine. I guess I won't be *that* bored." Then she brightened. "I don't suppose you guys could get me the latest issue of 'Playgirl', could you?"  
  
"You have got to be kidding me," the man said in a disbelieving tone, his eyes having grown huge. "There is no way in hell that we're going to get you an issue of 'Playgirl'!"  
  
The lady in front of her laughed. "We'll get you the latest issue of 'Playgirl'--" The man behind Aurora started to object, but the lady just grinned and continued. "--When you're eighteen."  
  
The man let out a sigh of relief, and Aurora made a face. "But I'm only five months away from turning eighteen," she replied. "Pretty please, with sugar on top?"  
  
The lady shook her head. "Nope."  
  
Aurora sighed. "Damn. Well, then I'll settle for all the other popular magazines." She smiled, and the lady grinned.  
  
"I'll see what I can do, okay?" she said to Aurora.  
  
She nodded. "Okay." The lady turned to leave, and Aurora called, "There's just one thing I wanna know, and that's who the hell you guys are."  
  
The lady turned to look at her, and smiled. "I'm Emma deLauro, and the guy treating your injuries is Adam. You should meet Shalimar, Jesse, and Brennan soon."  
  
Aurora shrugged. "Okay." Emma left, and Aurora let out a yelp as Adam's fingers prodded her injured back again. "OW! That hurt, you jerk!"  
  
Adam fought back a chuckle. "Would you like a painkiller?" he asked. Aurora nodded her head so fast that for a moment Adam thought that she'd acquired superspeed.  
  
"Yes, I would like a painkiller," she replied politely, and sniffled slightly. "After all, my back hurts really badly." She sniffled again, and Adam blinked, startled.  
  
"Are you all right?" he asked worriedly. "You sound like you're on the verge of crying."  
  
Aurora looked up at him. She looked like she was about to start crying. Adam was about to give her a hug and telling her that she would be fine, but a moment later, the unhappy look on her face disappeared, and she grinned. "I'm fine. I'm just a really good actress." Adam gaped at her, and she gave him a huge smile.  
  
Someone laughed from the doorway, and Aurora looked over to see who it was. A lady with blond hair and blue eyes stood there, along with two men. One of the men also had blond hair and blue eyes, and the other man had dark hair and brown eyes, and was at least seven inches taller than the other two people.  
  
"Hello," said Aurora, lifting up one hand to wave at them. "I assume that you're Shalimar, Jesse, and Brennan?"  
  
The blond lady lifted an eyebrow slightly. "Damn, you're good."  
  
Aurora shrugged, and winced at the pain in her back caused by the slight movement. "Yeah, well, Emma told me that I would probably meet you guys soon. So, who's who?"  
  
The blond lady grinned. "I'm Shalimar Fox. This is Jesse Kilmartin--"  
  
"Hello," said the blond guy.  
  
"--And that's Brennan Mulwray," finished Shalimar.  
  
"How are you doing?" said the dark-haired guy.  
  
"I'm doing fairly good, considering the fact that my father beat the living crap out of me with a leather belt," replied Aurora, unable to keep a trace of bitterness from creeping into her voice.  
  
As one, the people in front of her flinched, but didn't say anything. Finally, Shalimar broke the silence.  
  
"Well, don't worry," she said firmly. "You're safe now. You won't be going back to your parents. Ever. Not unless we have anything to say about it."  
  
Aurora gave the people in front of her a weak smile. "Thanks."  
  
"Don't mention it," replied Shalimar. She, Jesse, and Brennan turned and left the room.  
  
Aurora craned her neck, trying to see Adam. "Hey, Adam?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Um, could I have a painkiller, please?"  
  
* * *  
  
Two days later, Aurora was bored out of her mind. She'd read every magazine that she'd been brought twice, and had watched television until she became cross-eyed.  
  
"Room service!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.  
  
From the living room of Sanctuary, Shalimar glanced over at Emma. "Your turn to play nurse."  
  
Emma made a face, and headed towards the lab. She leaned on the doorframe, glowering at the teenage occupant. "You hollered, your royal highness?" she asked sarcastically.  
  
Aurora made a face at her. "Smartass. I just wanted to know if I could leave the lab anytime soon. I'm bored out of my mind. I've read every magazine that you guys brought me twice, and I've gone cross-eyed from watching so much television. I never thought I'd say this, but I wanna go to school." She pouted, and Emma couldn't help but smile.  
  
"I know what you mean. Being out of school for a while is fun, but the fun soon runs out."  
  
Aurora grinned. "And when the fun runs out, you find yourself wanting to do algebraic problems, just so you won't be bored out of your mind."  
  
Emma grinned at her, and walked over to her. "How's your back feeling?"  
  
Aurora shrugged. "I still feel bruised and battered, but other than that, I feel fine." She gave Emma a hopeful grin. "Does this mean that I can go back to school tomorrow?"  
  
Emma sighed. "I'll talk to Adam, and see what he thinks. Okay?"  
  
Aurora nodded. "Okay."  
  
Emma left the lab, and Aurora let out a sigh.  
  
* * *  
  
Aurora looked up as Adam walked into the lab. "Hey, Adam."  
  
Adam walked over to where Aurora was lying down, and began examining the injuries on her back. "Emma tells me that you're bored out of your wits, and are ready to go back to school. Is that right?"  
  
Aurora nodded. "Uh-huh."  
  
Adam sighed, and straightened up. "Well, I have to admit, you're doing better than I would have thought. Most people, when abused by their parents or guardians, don't usually want to face their friends. Especially not so soon after being abused."  
  
Aurora made a face. "Yeah, well, I get the feeling that my friends are going to be totally supportive of me." She gave him a hopeful smile. "So, can I go back to school?"  
  
Adam sighed, and then crouched in front of her, staring into her pale green eyes. "Aurora, I'll be waiting outside for you as soon as school lets out, okay? Don't go anywhere else."  
  
Aurora grinned. "Okay."  
  
Adam smiled at her, and then stood up. He left the lab, and if she could have, Aurora would have jumped up and down with glee. Instead, she settled for mentally punching the air.  
  
"No more boredom!" her inner voice sang out.  
  
--You are so right-- thought Aurora happily. Then she frowned. --God, I hope there aren't any pop quizzes tomorrow.--  
  
* * *  
  
Aurora felt a tickling sensation on her nose, like she was being tickled with a feather. She snorted, and heard the sound of laughter beside her. Her eyes flew open, and she saw that Adam was standing over her, holding a cotton swab that he'd been using to tickle her nose with. He smiled down at her.  
  
"Rise and shine, sleepyhead," he said. "You're going back to school today."  
  
Aurora yawned, and sat up. "What time is it?"  
  
"It's a little after five," Adam replied, helping her to stand. "Emma and Shalimar are going to help you get washed up, and then you're going to get dressed." He smiled faintly. "Emma insisted on picking out your outfit."  
  
Aurora smiled tiredly, and yawned again. "That's okay. She's got good taste in clothing."  
  
With Adam's help, she walked out of the lab, where Emma and Shalimar were waiting for her. They helped her upstairs, where Aurora could hear the shower running.  
  
Twenty minutes later, Aurora had been scrubbed until her skin was pink, and her hair had been dried. Both Emma and Shalimar waited outside the bathroom while Aurora dressed, and then Emma braided her hair into a long plait that fell halfway down her back. Then they helped her downstairs, where breakfast was waiting.  
  
After breakfast, Adam led Aurora down the hallway to a doorway. He flashed the ring that he wore in front of the computer screen beside the computer, and the door opened. Aurora's eyes grew huge when she saw the jet that was in there.  
  
"Holy shit," she said, awestruck. "You guys have your own jet?"  
  
Adam nodded. "That's the Double Helix. But that's not how we're going to get you to school. I'm going to drive you."  
  
Aurora nodded in understanding. "Let me guess. The Double Helix is too noticeable, and that's why you're going to take me to school by car."  
  
Adam nodded. "That's right." He hesitated for a moment. "Aurora, if anyone asks what happened to you, just tell them that you were rescued by child welfare services, all right? Don't tell them about Mutant X."  
  
"Huh? Oh, you mean you guys. Okay. Not only that, but I'm not going to say anything about my powers. I don't wanna be ostracized on my first day back."  
  
Adam smiled faintly. "That would've been the next thing I was going to tell you. Thank you for knowing ahead of time."  
  
Aurora shrugged. "It's called good common sense, Adam." She climbed in the passenger side of the car, and buckled herself in. "Oh, we need to go by my parents' house to get my backpack. I can't go to school without it."  
  
Adam nodded. "All right."  
  
Half an hour later, they were at Aurora's house. She ran inside, and grabbed her backpack from where it rested on the chair in the front hall. Then she ran back out to the car.  
  
"School starts in twenty minutes," she called to Adam. "I just checked the clock on the microwave."  
  
He smiled at her. "Don't worry. We'll have you there in plenty of time."  
  
Aurora sighed. "Well, if I'm late for school, I reserve the right to kick your ass."  
  
Instead of looking angry, Adam merely snorted. "You and what army?"  
  
Aurora made a face at him, and he laughed.  
  
He had her at the school in less than five minutes.  
  
* * *  
  
Aurora walked into homeroom, and noticed that Christa was standing in the corner, talking to her boyfriend, Richard Horton. They both looked worried. Suddenly, Christa looked up, and saw Aurora standing there. Her jaw dropped.  
  
"Rora!" she yelled, running over to her, and flinging her arms around her. "You're all right! Your parents didn't kill you and bury you in the basement!"  
  
Aurora laughed and hugged her back. "No, my parents didn't kill me and bury me in the basement." Her smile faded. "But they came pretty damn close. If it wasn't for Mut--I mean, child welfare services, that wouldn't be a rumor. It'd be true."  
  
Christa looked horrified. "Oh, my god," she said finally. "Your parents were really going to kill you?"  
  
Aurora nodded. "With a leather belt," she replied grimly. Christa's eyes bugged out.  
  
"Oh, my god," she said again. Then she shook her head slightly. "Well, don't worry. I doubt that those murdering psychos that call themselves your parents are going to be allowed anywhere near you ever again. You do realize that you'll probably be called into court to testify against them, don't you?"  
  
Aurora nodded again. "I'm all too aware of that fact," she replied calmly. "But I'll deal with it when it happens, not before." She flashed Christa a worried look. "Right now, I'm more worried about what I've been missing in science. After all, that's not my best class."  
  
Christa smiled back, relieved. "Don't be worried about what you've been missing in science. Mr. Harrison's been out sick, so we've got a substitute. She's really nice. Her name's Ms. Wilcox, and the first thing she told us when she arrived was that she barely passed science in high school, so she's not going to give us any quizzes. Besides, Mr. Harrison didn't leave any lesson plans for her, so she's been letting us watch movies."  
  
Aurora grinned. "Cool."  
  
* * *  
  
That afternoon, Aurora and Christa walked down the front steps of the high school, chattering happily about the movie that they'd watched in science. Ms. Wilcox was a really nice lady, and she'd let the students watch the 1998 version of "Godzilla". Everyone had made corny jokes during the movie, including the teacher.  
  
All in all, it had been the best science class that Aurora had ever had.  
  
Suddenly, Christa looked over her shoulder, and frowned. "Hey, Rora, that guy over there is staring at you."  
  
Aurora turned around and looked where she was pointing. Adam was leaning up against a silver car, a frown on his face. Aurora immediately smacked herself in the head. "Oh, my god, I totally forgot!" She slowly jogged over to where Adam was waiting, and Christa followed, a confused look on her face. "Adam, I am so sorry," she said as soon as she got over there. "If Christa hadn't spotted you over here, I would've gotten on the bus."  
  
Adam sighed. "That's all right, Aurora."  
  
Christa stared at Adam, one eyebrow raised slightly. "Uh, Rora, who the hell is this guy?"  
  
Aurora blinked and glanced over at her. "Uh, this is Adam..." She searched her brain for a last name to give Adam. --Somehow, I don't think that Christa would be willing to accept that Adam doesn't have a last name.- - Then she thought of the movie that they'd watched in science. "...Tatopolous," she said hurriedly. "Adam Tatapolous."  
  
"I take it he works for child welfare services?" Christa asked curiously, and Aurora nodded.  
  
"That's right. I've been staying with him for a couple of days. They're trying to find me a foster home with a reliable parent," lied Aurora. Adam glanced over at her, and a faint smile crossed his face. Then he turned to Christa.  
  
"It was nice meeting you, Christa," he said politely. "But Aurora and I had better be going. Hadn't we, Aurora?"  
  
Aurora nodded. "Yes, Mr. Tatapolous."  
  
Christa walked away, waving at Aurora. "See you tomorrow, Rora."  
  
Aurora waved back. "Bye, Christa." Then she and Adam both got into the car.  
  
Adam glanced over at Aurora, incredulous. "Tatapolous? You told her my last name was *Tatapolous*?!"  
  
Aurora looked helpless. "Well, I had to give you a last name, and it was the first thing that popped into my head!"  
  
Adam shook his head slightly. "It just popped into your head? Where the hell would you hear a name like that?"  
  
Aurora made a face. "Well, we were watching the 1998 version of 'Godzilla' today in science class, and one of the characters had the last name Tatapolous."  
  
Adam sighed. "Do you have any homework?"  
  
Aurora shook her head. "Nope. I had to sit out two of my classes today."  
  
"Which ones?"  
  
"Theatre and dance. My other two classes were science and chorus. We've started working on some new songs in chorus, and we're usually sitting down for that class, except when we're doing choreography, and we had a substitute in science. She was really nice. She's been letting the class watch videos all week, because the teacher didn't leave any lesson plans." Aurora grinned. "Ms. Wilcox is the absolute best substitute ever."  
  
That got Adam's attention. "Was your substitute's first name Claire?"  
  
Aurora gave him a strange look out of the corner of her eye. "Yeah, it is. Why?"  
  
Adam glanced over at her, and gave her a huge smile. "Claire Wilcox is a New Mutant that Jesse, Shalimar, and myself put in the New Mutant Underground about two years ago."  
  
Aurora grinned. "Cool! What's her power?"  
  
"Telekinesis. She chose the codename 'Floater' for herself."  
  
Aurora rolled her eyes. "That is such a corny codename." Then she grinned. "But I just thought of one for myself."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Firestarter."  
  
* * *  
  
Aurora stared out the window as Adam pulled up to a house across the street from where the cast party had been held a few nights earlier.  
  
"What are we doing here?" she demanded. "This doesn't look like Sanctuary."  
  
"That's because it's not. This is Claire Wilcox's house. You're going to be staying with her until the end of the school year."  
  
Aurora blinked. "Why?"  
  
"Because you need to complete your high school education."  
  
Aurora rolled her eyes. "Duh, I kinda figured that I needed to finish my high school education, but why can't I live at Sanctuary while I'm finishing up?"  
  
"Because you need to be closer to the school." Adam stopped talking when he saw the hurt look in Aurora's eyes. "Aurora, it's for the best. Besides, your parents are going to be put on trial, and the court is going to want to know where you've been staying."  
  
Aurora sighed. "Oh, all right." She grabbed her backpack, and both she and Adam went up the walk to the front door. Aurora knocked once, and the door was opened by a blond woman in her early thirties, wearing jeans and a red tank top. She grinned when she saw Adam.  
  
"Adam!" She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "It's great to see you again!"  
  
"It's great to see you too, Claire," he replied. He stepped backwards and smiled down at the petite blond woman in front of him. "Claire, this is Aurora Hawkins. I believe you've met her already."  
  
Claire gaped when she saw Aurora. "Well, I'll be damned. So you're the New Mutant I'm taking care of, huh? I hadn't realized that you'd be one of the students in the class that I was substituting for."  
  
Aurora flashed her a grin. "Well, you learn something new every day, don't you?"  
  
Claire nodded in agreement. "True. Very true." She stepped out of the doorway, and indicated inside. "Why don't you come inside?"  
  
Aurora smiled, and went inside. Claire turned back to Adam, a huge smile on her face. But before she could say anything, Adam held up a single finger, indicating that she shouldn't say anything. "I'm going to go ahead and leave," he said quietly.  
  
Claire gave him a hurt look. "Without saying good-bye?"  
  
"It's better that way," he replied.  
  
"Adam, she'll pitch an absolute tantrum if you leave without saying good- bye, and I've only got one fire extinguisher in the house," she joked.  
  
Adam sighed. "All right, fine," he said. "But I'm only going to stay long enough to say good-bye."  
  
Claire made a face. "Well, that's better than nothing." She headed inside. "Come on in, Adam."  
  
Adam followed her inside, and shook his head slightly at what he saw. "Claire, your house looks like a tornado hit it."  
  
Claire stuck her tongue out at him. "That's because I can't do my taxes and clean house at the same time, jerk." Aurora came downstairs a moment later. "Aurora, Adam has something to tell you."  
  
Aurora looked at Adam expectantly, and he sighed. "Aurora, I've got to be heading back to Sanctuary. Now, I know that you're probably disappointed that you won't be coming back with me, but you need to stay here." He fished around in his jacket pocket for a moment, and came up with a bottle of pills. "Aurora, you need to take one of these twice a day for the next two weeks."  
  
Aurora took them from him, glancing at the lable curiously. "What are they?"  
  
"They're antibiotics, and they're going to keep the injuries on your back from getting infected. Now remember: One pill twice a day for two weeks."  
  
"Got it," replied Aurora. Then, before Adam could do anything, she flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Am I gonna see any of the members of Mutant X again?" she asked, her voice slightly muffled by the fact that her face was buried in his neck.  
  
Adam nodded. "As often as you'd like. You're just not going to be staying at Sanctuary." He pried himself loose from her grasp, and looked her in the eye. "If you have any kinds of problems, any at all, you call me. Claire knows Sanctuary's number. Okay?"  
  
Aurora nodded, and sniffled once. "Bye, Adam." She hugged him again, and he left. Aurora stood at the doorway for about ten minutes after he'd driven away, resisting the urge to start crying.  
  
Claire watched her for a moment, and then placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Aurora, what say we go get you some new clothing?" she asked softly. Aurora looked up at her, and nodded.  
  
"Okay," she said in a small voice.  
  
Claire gave her a broad smile. "Great! While we're out, we'll get some dinner, too." She made a face. "Believe me, you don't want to eat my cooking. I can stomach it, but only because I've had years of experience."  
  
Aurora giggled. "Can we get McDonald's?"  
  
"Sure," agreed Claire. "We'll stop by McDonald's after we've gotten you some new clothes. Just let me get my keys and my jacket, and we'll go."  
  
Ten minutes later, Claire and Aurora pulled out of the driveway in Claire's truck, laughing and talking like old friends.  
  
to be continued...  
  
* * *  
  
A/N: Well, that ends chapter 1. Now to start working on chapter 2! As always, please R&R, but no flames, otherwise I'll have to kick your sorry arses from here to Middle Earth. See ya! 


	3. Chapter Two: Getting A Lawyer

Note: The story becomes a crossover w/Pretender in this chapter. I just started writing, and that's how it flowed. *shrug* Don't ask me how my brain works; I sometimes wonder myself.  
  
Chapter 2: Getting A Lawyer  
  
Aurora got off the school bus, and ran up the front walk to Claire's house. She opened the front door, and went inside.  
  
"Claire?" she called out. "I'm home!"  
  
A moment later, Claire's blond head poked out from the living room. "Hey, kiddo. You've got a visitor."  
  
Confused, Aurora dumped her backpack on the floor, and went into the living room. When she got there, she saw that there was a young man sitting on the couch. He wore a dark business suit, and had dark brown hair and brown eyes. There was a briefcase next to his feet. He looked up, and when he saw Aurora standing in the doorway, he stood up and offered her his hand.  
  
"Aurora Hawkins?" he asked, smiling at her pleasantly. "My name is Jarod Orton. I've been appointed as your attorney."  
  
Aurora blinked slightly. She wouldn't have thought that her parents would be put on trial so quickly. Or that she would've needed an attorney, for that matter. She shook Mr. Orton's hand, and he sat down on the couch again. Aurora glanced over at Claire, who smiled at her comfortingly.  
  
"Um, Mr. Orton, if you don't mind, I'd like to speak to Claire in the kitchen for a moment, please." Without waiting for a reply, Aurora grabbed Claire by the arm and dragged her into the kitchen. Once they were in there, Aurora turned to Claire, one eyebrow raised. "Claire, is that guy really my attorney?"  
  
Claire nodded. "Yep. But don't worry. I think he'll do anything in his power to help you." She shrugged. "I don't know why, but he reminds me of Adam. I trust him."  
  
Aurora let out a sigh of relief. If Claire trusted him, then he was a good guy. If there was one thing that Aurora had learned about Claire in the short time that she'd been living with her, it was that when it came to people, she had an inner radar that told her whether or not they could be trusted. The two of them walked back into the living room, where Mr. Orton was still waiting. He smiled at Aurora.  
  
"Have you decided whether or not I'm a good guy?" he asked. Aurora grinned, and nodded.  
  
"Yep. It's unanimous; you're a good guy."  
  
Mr. Orton pretended to wipe his forehead. "Whew! For a moment there, I was really worried!" Aurora laughed.  
  
Claire was right; he *was* like Adam.  
  
"Um, why do I need an attorney?" Aurora asked hesitantly. "I know that my parents probably have an attorney, but why do I need one?"  
  
"Because you need to testify against your parents in court," Mr. Orton replied. Aurora rolled her eyes.  
  
"Well, yeah, I kinda figured that I'd have to tell the court what my parents did to me, but I don't need a lawyer to help me do that," she said. Mr. Orton sighed.  
  
"Ms. Hawkins, would you prefer to have to face your parents by yourself?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow slightly. "Because I'm certain that you're aware of the fact that your friends will be sitting behind you, but you can't converse with them during the trial. Also, if you're an expert on legal matters--"  
  
Aurora's eyes had grown to the size of saucers. "Mr. Orton? Forget I asked."  
  
* * *  
  
That evening, Aurora stood in front of the stove, stirring the macaroni. She'd volunteered to take over cooking duties while she was staying there, and Claire had practically given her a standing ovation. Aurora lifted the spoon out of the pot, removing a couple of pieces of macaroni, and scrutinized them closely.  
  
"Perfect," she said happily. She turned the stove off, and drained the water from the pot into the sink. Then she added a quarter cup of milk, half a stick of butter, and the powdered cheese, stirring it all together. "Claire!" she yelled. "Dinner's ready!"  
  
Claire appeared in the doorway, and grinned. "About time," she replied. "My stomach was starting to get pissed off at you."  
  
Aurora just laughed, and dished out a bowl of macaroni for each of them. Then they went into the dining room, and sat down to eat.  
  
Later, as Aurora was sprawled on the floor doing her homework, there was a knock on the front door. Claire stuck her head out of the kitchen and asked, "Rora, could you get that?"  
  
Aurora got up and limped over to the door. Her left leg had fallen asleep. She opened the front door, and gasped when she saw who it was. Emma, Shalimar, Jesse, and Brennan were standing on the front porch. Letting out a squeal of happiness, she flung herself at them, and hugged them tightly. "It's great to see you guys!" She pulled back, a confused look on her face. "Hey, where's Adam?"  
  
Shalimar made a face. "He's working on a project back at Sanctuary. Said he was gonna be working on it for most of the evening, and probably wouldn't even eat dinner." She snorted. "He's in full genius mode tonight."  
  
"So we unanimously decided to vacate the premises for the next few hours," added Jesse.  
  
"Since it's a Friday night, do you think that Claire would let you come to the mall for a couple of hours?" Emma asked.  
  
Aurora grinned happily, and ran towards the kitchen. "Hey, Claire--" she started to say, but stopped when she saw Claire standing there, holding out four twenty dollar bills.  
  
"Have fun, and don't spend it all in one place," Claire said solemnly, handing her the money. Aurora grinned, and flung her arms around her, hugging her.  
  
"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" she said happily, and ran to get her jacket and purse. When she had both, she ran back to the living room. "Let's go!"  
  
* * *  
  
"And in local news, the Hawkins vs. Hawkins trial is to be held in two weeks," said the anchorwoman, Debra Parker. "Serena and Jeremiah Hawkins were arrested after Jeremiah attempted to beat their teenage daughter, seventeen year old Aurora Hawkins, to death with a leather belt. Now, let's go over to sports with Gary Michaels. Gary?"  
  
Before the sports reporter could appear on the screen, Claire turned the televion off, and yawned, getting off the couch. She headed upstairs to get ready for bed.  
  
A few minutes later, Claire padded out of the bathroom, yawning. She wore flannel pajamas with a pattern of roses all over them, and socks. She went into her room, and got into bed. She was so exhausted, she was asleep in less than a minute.  
  
* * *  
  
Aurora opened the front door as quietly as she could, and then turned to wave at the other members of Mutant X.  
  
"Bye, guys!" she called, keeping her voice down. They waved back at her, and then drove away. Aurora went into the house, and quietly shut the door behind her. She didn't want to disturb Claire, because she knew that she was probably asleep.  
  
Aurora dropped her purse onto the chair in the hallway, and then headed upstairs. She felt utterly exhausted. As she climbed into her boxer shorts that said, "Bite me", and her tank top that read, "I go from normal to horny in 3.5 seconds", she thought about Mutant X.  
  
Shalimar and Emma were both cool. They were like her big sisters. They were more than happy to chat with her, and were perfectly willing to give her fashion advice.  
  
Jesse and Brennan, on the other hand, were like her big brothers. They teased her mercilessly, but they were more than willing to defend her and keep her safe.  
  
And Adam...  
  
Adam was like the father that Aurora wished she'd always had. He was kind and patient, he was smart and wonderful, and he was strong and completely able to protect her. --If only my *real* dad had been that way with me-- Aurora thought bitterly. --Dad never cared about me. The only person other than himself that he cared about was Mom, and she didn't care about me, either. She was happiest when I was suffering or in pain.--  
  
Aurora lay down on her bed, and closed her eyes as a tear rolled down her cheek.  
  
* * *  
  
The next morning, Aurora awoke to the smell of bacon cooking. Her eyes flew open, and she leapt out of bed.  
  
"Claire, I hope you're not cooking breakfast!" she yelled, dashing out of her room and heading downstairs. "I don't wanna eat food that looks and tastes like it's been dunked in the La Brea tar pits!" But when she got to the kitchen, she skidded to a halt, her mouth hanging open.  
  
Mr. Orton was standing at the stove, stirring the pot in front of him. He looked over at Aurora, and gave her a huge grin.  
  
"Morning, Ms. Hawkins," he said cheerfully. "Ms. Wilcox said that you usually make breakfast, but you were sound asleep, so I volunteered to make breakfast. I hope you don't mind."  
  
Aurora shook her head.  
  
"No, of course I don't mind," she replied. She was still staring at Mr. Orton. "I didn't know lawyers knew how to cook."  
  
"I'm not like other lawyers," Mr. Orton said.  
  
"So I noticed." Aurora eyed Mr. Orton, confused. He wasn't dressed in a suit today; instead, he was wearing jeans and a green t-shirt, and he had sneakers on his feet. Aurora's personal opinion of him rose several notches. "Mr. Orton? Why are you here?"  
  
"I needed to go over some things with you," he replied. He turned the stove off, and scooped the bacon onto a platter. "Like the lawyer that your parents hired."  
  
"What about him?" Aurora asked curiously, putting four pieces of bacon onto her plate, and then grabbing a blueberry muffin.  
  
"Well, I did some research on him," Mr. Orton said. "He's got quite a reputation for winning his cases with intimidation."  
  
Aurora put down her muffin, and eyed Mr. Orton.  
  
"Are you telling me that it's not a good idea for me to go up on the witness stand?" she asked, her tone becoming dangerous.  
  
"No, I'm telling you that it's a good idea to watch what you say while he's questioning you. He'll ask you a question, and then when you answer, he'll find a way to twist it around, and make it sound like you're the guilty party, and that his clients are the real victims."  
  
Aurora shivered slightly.  
  
"Why do I get the feeling that he's a real slimeball?"  
  
Mr. Orton grinned.  
  
"Because he is a slimeball," he said, and then gave her a look. "Don't tell anyone I said that."  
  
"Well, I don't think Claire would mind," Aurora replied defensively. "She'd probably think it was funnier'n'hell. And she'd probably call him some names of her own, like douche bag, or jackass from Tartarus. Or worse, she'd call him a shit-eating prick pimp. To his face, no less."  
  
"And I'd do it with a genuine smile on my face," came Claire's voice from the doorway. Aurora and Jarod both turned around, and saw that she was leaning up against the doorframe.  
  
"Claire, has anyone ever told you that you can be unbelievably evil when you want?" Aurora asked, giving her foster mother an evil grin. Claire returned the grin with an evil grin of her own.  
  
"Many times," she replied. "That's why I call Adam 'Curly'. Because I know that it annoys the hell out of him."  
  
Aurora laughed.  
  
to be continued...  
  
* * *  
  
A/N: Sorry it's taken me so long to get this stupid chapter up, but I've been pretty busy lately. As always, please R&R, but no flames, otherwise I'll have to kick your sorry arses from here to the Bog of Eternal Stench. 


	4. Chapter Three: In The Courtroom

Note: I have never been in a courtroom, so I don't know what happens exactly. Please don't be offended. Also, I use the "F" word *gasp*. Oh, horror of horrors! *grins* Not. I only use it once, and it's probably the only time that I'll ever use it in any of my fanfics.  
  
Chapter 3: In The Courtroom  
  
Two weeks later...  
  
Aurora walked into the courtroom, feeling rather awkward. She was wearing a green velvet shirt with three-quarter sleeves, a short black skirt, black hose, and black high heels. Christa had told her that she had to dress nice, or else the judge and the members of the jury wouldn't take her seriously. --I hate this-- she thought unhappily. --I don't want to face a bunch of strangers. But if it helps put my parents behind bars for what they did to me, then I'll gladly get up in front of a bunch of strangers.-- She sat down next to Mr. Orton, and he smiled at her reassuringly.  
  
"It's all right, Ms. Hawkins," he whispered soothingly. "Everything's going to be all right."  
  
Aurora nodded, but the worried look didn't leave her eyes. A moment later, the police brought her parents into the courtroom. The moment Serena laid eyes on her daughter, they narrowed slightly, and she tried to lunge at her, only to be restrained by the police officers.  
  
Aurora shivered at the look of absolute hatred in her mother's eyes, and resisted the urge to wet her pants. Suddenly, she felt someone place a comforting hand on her shoulder, and she turned to see who it was. Claire stood there, and she sat down on Aurora's other side.  
  
"Where's Adam and the others?" Aurora asked quietly.  
  
"They didn't want to risk being caught by the GSA. But they're going to be watching the whole thing on a monitor that Adam rigged up."  
  
Aurora smiled faintly. Suddenly, she saw Emma, Shalimar, Jesse, and Brennan walk into the courtroom. They came over to her, and sat down behind her, Claire, and Mr. Orton.  
  
"I thought you guys weren't coming," she whispered happily.  
  
"Well, Adam didn't want us to risk it, but Emma and Shalimar threatened to take baseball bats to our skulls if we didn't come support you," replied Jesse.  
  
"So we unanimously decided that not getting our skulls bashed in by two pissed off women was more important than not getting captured by the GSA," added Brennan. Aurora frowned.  
  
"You guys, if you're in danger, then you shouldn't be here," she said worriedly. As one, the members of Mutant X gave her a Look.  
  
"We're not leaving," stated Jesse sternly. "You're part of the team, and team members never abandon each other."  
  
"Not the Mutant X team, anyway," put in Emma. Aurora smiled.  
  
"Y'know, if I really deserve the friends that I've got, then I must be one hell of a person," she said.  
  
A moment later, the bailiff stood up, and announced, "All rise for the honorable Judge Perkins."  
  
Everyone in the courtroom stood up as a middle-aged woman with light brown hair walked into the courtroom and sat down. She wore a judge's billowing black robes.  
  
"You may be seated," Judge Perkins said, and everyone sat back down.  
  
"The Hawkins vs. Hawkins trial will now commence," said the bailiff. Mr. Orton stood up.  
  
"I'd like to call Aurora Hawkins to the stand," he said.  
  
Nervously, Aurora stood up, and walked to the bench. She sat down, and swallowed hard. The bailiff approached her, holding a large Bible. Aurora placed her left hand on the Bible, and raised her right hand.  
  
"Ms. Hawkins, do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"  
  
"I do."  
  
Mr. Orton approached her.  
  
"Ms. Hawkins, where were you April 7, 2002?" he asked.  
  
"I was at a cast party that took place after a school play that we had put on. Well, actually, it was a musical, because we kept breaking into song." A couple of people in the jury chuckled.  
  
"What was the musical?"  
  
" 'Once Upon A Mattress'. I played Lady Larken."  
  
"Can you tell us what happened at the cast party?"  
  
"I was talking with my boyfriend about the performance when my mother showed up. She accused me of getting drunk and playing doctor, and dragged me out the front door to her car."  
  
"Were you drinking an alcoholic drink?"  
  
"Yes. It was a margarita, but I was only drinking it to be polite. I don't really like the taste of a margarita, unless it's a virgin one."  
  
"What happened when you and your mother got home?"  
  
"My mother dragged me into the house, and told my father that I'd been getting drunk and playing doctor. He was really mad at me, and dragged me down to the basement, where he made me take off all my clothing. He tied my hands to the ceiling, and then he began to beat me with a leather belt." Aurora's eyes filled with tears at the painful memory.  
  
"No further questions, your honor," said Mr. Orton, and he sat down.  
  
Mr. Faulkner, her parents' defense attorney, stood up and walked over to the bench where Aurora was sitting.  
  
"Ms. Hawkins, are you aware that it's illegal to drink alcoholic beverages before the age of twenty-one?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "It would seem that you have a rather careless attitude towards the law, Ms. Hawkins." Aurora's mouth fell open at his accusation, and Mr. Faulker turned towards the jury. "If her attitude towards the law is any indication of what she's really like, then I'm sure you'll all agree with me that her parents had every right to punish her." He let out a sigh. "But I'm certain that her parents would never beat their own daughter with a leather belt until she was dead. But I'm certain that they were tempted to take a belt to her backside because of what she was doing. After all, having intercourse with her boyfriend during a party---"  
  
During his entire speech, Aurora's eyes had been smoldering with pure anger. Finally, she snapped, and jumped to her feet.  
  
"I WASN'T HAVING ANY FUCKING INTERCOURSE!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, cutting Mr. Faulkner off mid-sentence. The entire courtroom fell silent, and Aurora saw that there were shocked looks on everyone's faces. In a quieter voice, she continued, "And my parents *did* beat me with a leather belt!"  
  
"Well, then, prove it," replied Mr. Faulkner. Then he added smugly, "Of course, I'll understand if they've magically healed before now."  
  
* * *  
  
Emma winced. She knew for a fact that Aurora's injuries weren't completely healed, and that they were still vividly red, though they were starting to scab over.  
  
--The jury is not going to get a pretty sight-- she thought. Then she smiled grimly. --I hope that sorry excuse for a defense lawyer gets an eyeful.--  
  
* * *  
  
Aurora glared at Mr. Faulkner.  
  
"No, they haven't magically healed," she spat. "And I'm going to prove it right now."  
  
Aurora lifted the back of her shirt, and the jury gasped. There were several dozen welts on her back, all of them standing out vividly against her pale skin.  
  
Aurora felt tears welling up in her eyes. She wished that she didn't have to do this, but she didn't have a choice.  
  
"Now do you believe me?" she asked bitterly. "I am not a liar. The evidence is all over my back."  
  
"Don't listen to her!" yelled Serena all of a sudden, causing everyone to turn and look at her. "She deserved the beating she got! She's a freak of nature, and doesn't deserve to live!"  
  
Mr. Faulkner turned to stare at her, his eyes wide. She'd just admitted to the crime.  
  
Judge Perkins banged her gavel on the bench, silencing everyone, and Aurora pulled her shirt back down.  
  
"Members of the jury, you have just heard the evidence," she said. "I ask that you now go make your decision."  
  
The jury left the courtroom, and returned less than five minutes later.  
  
"We have reached a verdict, your honor," said a member of the jury.  
  
"And what is your verdict?" asked Judge Perkins.  
  
"On the charges of child abuse and attempted murder, we find the defendants, Serena and Jeremiah Hawkins, guilty of all charges."  
  
"Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins, I sentence you to forty-five years in prison, with a possibility of parole in twenty-five years," said Judge Perkins. She banged her gavel on the bench again. "Case dismissed."  
  
"No!" yelled Serena. Before the guard could restrain her, she jumped out of her seat and ran at Aurora, her eyes filled with fury.  
  
Aurora screamed and flung her hands up to shield her face just as her mother reached the witness bench. Suddenly, she heard a thud, and she removed her hands. Her mother was lying on the floor, moaning in pain.  
  
And she was more than ten feet away.  
  
Aurora stared at her mother for a moment, and then looked over at Claire and the others. Claire and the members of Mutant X looked stunned, and Mr. Orton looked slightly shocked, but the look on his face soon became one of curiousity.  
  
* * *  
  
As they left the courtroom, Aurora didn't say anything. She started to get into Claire's truck, but Mr. Orton grabbed her arm and pulled her behind it.  
  
"Mr. Orton, what is it?" she asked worriedly. He stared into her pale green eyes.  
  
"My last name isn't Orton," he said quietly. "I don't know what my real last name is." He let out a sigh. "We need to talk."  
  
As he told his story to Aurora, the look on her face changed from puzzlement to horror, and she turned pale. Finally, he finished, and she just stared at him, not saying anything.  
  
"My god," she whispered finally. "Mr. Orton---I mean, Jarod---I'm not the one you should be telling this to. You need to tell the police, or the FBI, or somebody."  
  
"I'm telling you as a warning," Jarod replied. "If the Centre watches the news, they'll see what you're capable of, and they *will* try to kidnap you." He stared into her eyes. "Promise me that you won't try to go after the Centre. It's too dangerous."  
  
"I promise," said Aurora reluctantly, and Jarod went over to his car. "Not to go after the Centre, that is," she muttered as soon as he was out of hearing range.  
  
She got into Claire's Jeep Cherokee, and they went back to her house.  
  
* * *  
  
The next day, after school, Aurora went to find Christa.  
  
"Rora, what is it?" asked Christa when Aurora finally found her.  
  
"Christa, I need two things: your expertise with computers, and a video camera."  
  
to be continued...  
  
* * *  
  
A/N: As always, please R&R, but no flames. Flamers will be pelted with dungbombs, and then I'll kick their sorry arses from here to the Bog of Eternal Stench. 


	5. Chapter Four: Bringing Down The Centre

Note: I know that this isn't likely to happen, but I'm writing it as happening. I'd had this sort of situation brewing in my head for months, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to put it into words. Also, I don't know what Miss Parker's first name is, so I'm going to say that her first name is Stephanie. Same with her father; I'm going to say his first name is Jonathan.  
  
Chapter 4: Bringing Down The Centre  
  
Claire got home a little after six.  
  
"Aurora, are you home?" she called. There was no answer. Claire frowned, and hung up her jacket. She went into the kitchen, and froze. There was a note on the refrigerator. She went over and pulled it off.  
  
"Claire, gone to do a friend a favor. Won't be home until late." -Aurora  
  
Claire let out a sigh of relief. Then she saw the P.S. at the bottom of the note.  
  
"P.S. Watch Proxy Blue as soon as you get home. You (and the rest of the U.S.) are gonna get a real shock about something that makes Genomex seem tame in comparison."  
  
Claire put down the note, and made a beeline towards the phone. She quickly dialed the number of Sanctuary.  
  
"Hello?" came Shalimar's voice.  
  
"Shalimar, it's Claire. I need to talk to Adam." A moment later, Adams' rich baritone came on the line.  
  
"Claire, what is it?" he asked.  
  
"Adam, I just got home, and Aurora isn't here. She left a note on the fridge telling me that she'd gone to do a friend a favor, but she didn't say who the friend was, or what the favor was."  
  
"Don't worry," Adam said reassuringly. "We'll find her. Did her note have anything else on it?"  
  
"Well, she told me to watch Proxy Blue when I got home, because the U.S. was going to get a real shock."  
  
"All right." Claire snuffled. "Claire, don't worry. We're going to find her."  
  
Claire nodded, even though she knew Adam couldn't see it over the phone.  
  
"I know."  
  
She hung up, and went to go watch Proxy Blue. --I just hope that this shock, whatever it is, doesn't have anything to do with New Mutants-- she thought nervously.  
  
* * *  
  
Aurora stood in front of the camera. She'd pulled her hair out of its usual braid, and then brushed it. She wore a white tank top with a shamrock on it that said, "Kiss me, I'm Irish", and a green miniskirt with a gold glittery belt. On her feet, she wore green socks and black high- heeled boots.  
  
A moment later, Christa looked over at her.  
  
"We're ready," she said quietly. She was still a little shell-shocked from what Aurora had told her about Jarod and the Centre. "No one will be able to trace it."  
  
"Good."  
  
Aurora turned to the camera, and smiled. Christa put on her headphones, and gave her a thumbs-up sign. As soon as she did, Aurora began speaking.  
  
"I'm sorry to interrupt the regular Proxy Blue broadcast, but this is an emergency. Do not attempt to trace this signal." Aurora swallowed hard. Jarod wasn't going to be very happy about what she was about to do. "There are Pretenders among us. They're geniuses, who have the unique ability to become anyone they want to be. In 1963, a secret organization known as the Centre isolated a young Pretender named Jarod, and they exploited him for his powers. Five years ago, Jarod managed to escape from where the Centre was located in Blue Cove, Delaware. He has been in hiding ever since. But Jarod isn't the only child to be taken by the Centre. For more than thirty years, the Centre has been kidnapping dozens of children who have the potential to be Pretenders."  
  
* * *  
  
Jarod sat down in front of his laptop computer, and turned on Proxy Blue. He had gotten hooked on it, and now watched it every day.  
  
He took a sip of his coffee, and promptly did a spit take when he saw that Aurora was on the computer screen, talking about the Centre.  
  
"What the hell is she thinking?" he muttered to himself. "If the Centre finds out about this, they're going to hunt her down and get rid of her."  
  
He stood up, turned his computer off, dumped the rest of his coffee into the sink, and grabbed his jacket. He left his hotel room, shutting the door behind him.  
  
He had to get to Aurora before the Centre did.  
  
* * *  
  
Claire stared at the computer screen in amazement and horror. So that was what Jarod had pulled Aurora aside to talk about.  
  
"My god," she whispered. "Those monsters."  
  
* * *  
  
Adam, Jesse, Brennan, Shalimar, and Emma all crowded around the computer screen, staring at Aurora.  
  
"Who's Jarod?" asked Shalimar, confused. "And how exactly does Aurora know him?"  
  
"Aurora knows Jarod because he's the guy that represented her in court," replied Emma.  
  
"Her lawyer?" said Shalimar. "The really cute guy?" Brennan threw a dirty look at her back, which Shalimar ignored.  
  
"Yes, the really cute lawyer," Emma said. "What are you willing to bet that he's not really a lawyer?"  
  
"Who knows?" Adam replied. He and the other members of Mutant X turned back to Proxy Blue.  
  
* * *  
  
The Centre  
  
Blue Cove, Delaware  
  
Miss Parker was sitting at her desk when Broots burst through the door.  
  
"Miss Parker, I think you need to come see this," he said, panting. Miss Parker made no move to get up.  
  
"What is it?" she asked lazily.  
  
"It's on Proxy Blue. Someone's talking about Jarod, and the Centre."  
  
Miss Parker jumped to her feet.  
  
"Who is?" she demanded.  
  
"Some teenage girl," he replied. "Plus, she just revealed the location of the Centre."  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
Miss Parker ran out of her office, with Broots on her heels. They arrived at Broots' office, where Proxy Blue was on. Sure enough, there was a teenage girl on the screen.  
  
"The Centre is full of cruel, murderous bastards," she was saying venomously. "Stephanie Parker, the daughter of Jonathan Parker, who founded the Centre, once tried to get out of the Centre, but her father and another man named Mr. Raines were determined to keep her in the Centre, and did so by murdering Miss Parker's fiance." The lady swallowed hard, and continued. "There are three people who need to be taken from the Centre: Miss Parker, Broots, and Sydney. I can only hope that they're gotten out of there soon, and that the Centre is shut down for good. Otherwise, more child prodigies will disappear out of their homes."  
  
A moment later, the transmission ended, and Broots turned to stare at Miss Parker, a worried look on his face.  
  
"What are we gonna do now?"  
  
* * *  
  
Aurora walked out of the high school's television studio, a huge grin on her face. With a little luck, the Centre wouldn't know what hit them until the FBI had swooped down on them.  
  
As she walked outside, she glanced at her watch. It was a few minutes after ten. Suddenly, she was grabbed from behind. Aurora shrieked and spun around. She relaxed when she saw that she was face-to-face with Jarod.  
  
"Jarod, didn't anyone ever tell you that it's rude to sneak up on someone?" she joked. The serious look on Jarod's face immediately became a look of confusion.  
  
"No, they didn't," he replied, and the confused look on his face was immediately replaced with an upset look. "Have I hurt your feelings by being rude?"  
  
Aurora grimaced.  
  
"Jarod, that was my pathetic attempt at making a joke," she said. "I didn't mean for you to take it seriously."  
  
"Oh," Jarod said, looking relieved. Then he became stern. "I saw your report on Proxy Blue. What the hell were you thinking? Suppose someone at the Centre had seen you on Proxy Blue? You would have been in a lot of trouble. A whole lot of trouble."  
  
Aurora sighed.  
  
"That was a chance I had to take," she replied. "And I'm sure that it's going to pay off."  
  
"How?"  
  
"I'm fairly certain that the FBI and CIA watch all the news stories out there, just in case of a threat to the government, or to the President. And if my theory is correct, they're gonna see my report, and they're going to go after the Centre." Jarod opened his mouth to object, and Aurora lifted a hand to silence him. "Jarod, don't you *dare* tell me that they won't go after the Centre. Because the Centre has been kidnapping dozens of kids over the years, the FBI and CIA are completely and utterly obligated to bring it down."  
  
Jarod sighed, knowing that Aurora was right.  
  
"Well, I want you to be careful," he said finally. "If you're not at school, I want you to stay at home. The Centre might send Sweepers after you. They could grab you and drag you, kicking and screaming, out of the mall, and by the time mall security got there, they'd be long gone with you, and you would never be seen again."  
  
By that time, Aurora's eyes had gotten huge.  
  
"I promise to stay away from the mall unless I'm surrounded by a huge group of my friends," she promised.  
  
"Good." Suddenly, Jarod hugged her fiercely.  
  
"Jarod, you're cutting off my air supply," Aurora gasped.  
  
"Sorry." He released her, looking sheepish. "I'm gonna keep an eye on the news, and make sure that the FBI bring down the Centre. I'll see you later."  
  
"Bye, Jarod." He walked away, and Aurora smiled, touched by his concern for her.  
  
Then she headed towards Claire's house.  
  
to be continued...  
  
* * *  
  
A/N: Yay! There's just the epilogue left to write, and then I'll be done with this fic! As always, please R&R, but no flames. Flamers will be pelted with dungbombs, and then they'll get their sorry arses kicked from here to the Bog of Eternal Stench. 


	6. Epilogue: Success!

Epilogue: Success!  
  
Aurora sat on the couch, reading "Lady Slings The Booze" by Spider Robinson. Suddenly, there was a knock on the front door, and she looked up, a frown appearing briefly across her features. --Who the hell could that be?-- she thought, confused. Aurora got to her feet and went over to the front door, opening it. Jarod was standing out on the front porch, wearing regular clothing.  
  
--There's only one reason that Jarod would be here-- Aurora thought, feeling a faint spark of hope.  
  
"Hey, Jarod," she said. "Come on in." She opened the door wider, and Jarod walked into the house. Aurora took a deep breath, and asked hesitantly, "Any word on the Centre?"  
  
"The Centre---" Jarod stopped and took a deep breath, and Aurora felt the faint spark of hope within her fading fast. Then Jarod looked into her eyes, grinned hugely, and replied, "---Is out of business!" Aurora whooped and flung her arms around Jarod's neck, hugging him tightly. He spun around with her, both of them laughing. "You did it!" Jarod yelled happily. "You brave, wonderful girl, you did it!"  
  
Finally, Jarod set her down, and when Aurora looked up at him, she saw that there were tears running down his face.  
  
"Jarod, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly, her good mood immediately vanishing.  
  
"I'm finally free," he said quietly. "I don't have to worry about being captured and taken back to the Centre ever again."  
  
"No more nightmares about being locked up at night," Aurora agreed, shivering at the memory of what Jarod had told her about the Centre.  
  
"Yeah." Jarod hugged her one last time, and Aurora smiled faintly.  
  
"I'm gonna miss you," she said. Jarod gave her a huge grin.  
  
"Don't worry," he replied. "I'm just a phone call away, no matter where I am. I'll keep in touch. As a matter of fact, I'll send you clues about the places that I'm going to, like my red journals and other various souvenirs. Then, when you figure out where I'm at, you can give me a phone call and tell me the answer. Deal?" He held out his hand solemnly, and Aurora shook it.  
  
"Deal." With that, Jarod left.  
  
Aurora leaned against the doorframe, watching Jarod leave. As soon as he got into his car and drove away, she shut the front door and went upstairs to her bedroom, closing the door behind her.  
  
She picked up the remote for the television that was in her room, and turned it on. Then she popped in the tape of the trial that she had asked for. Aurora watched as the jury announced their verdict, and as the judge announced her parents' sentence.  
  
"No!" shouted Serena, jumping out of her seat and dodging the police officer that tried to restrain her. Aurora watched silently as her mother ran towards her, a look of complete and utter fury on her face. The tiny red-haired figure that was sitting on the witness bench flung her hands up to shield her face, and Serena was suddenly lifted into the air and flung backwards. She crashed to the floor with a thud ten feet away from her daughter, and lay there, moaning in pain.  
  
When she saw that, Aurora felt a sudden stinging sensation on the back of her collarbone, and she yelped, clapping a hand to it. But it faded an instant later, and she decided that it was one of those "invisible bitey bugs" that go around biting people and leaving no marks, and so she didn't bother to look and see if she had been bitten by a real bug.  
  
If she had looked, she would have found that a strange tattoo had appeared there: a Celtic triad in a circle.  
  
Aurora turned the VCR and the television off, and stood there for a moment, staring at the blank screen in confusion.  
  
"I thought that I was a pyrokinetic," she whispered to herself. "If I can control and create fire---then how come I'm also a psionic?"  
  
The End  
  
* * *  
  
A/N: Yay! I've finished it! And very soon, I'll have the first chapter of the sequel posted. I know that I asked y'all if I should get Adam and Claire together, and some of you said yes, but I've been totally uninspired. Please send me suggestions on how to get them together! Anyhoo...  
  
As always, please R&R, but no flames. Flamers will be pelted with dungbombs, and then they'll get their sorry arses kicked from here to the Bog of Eternal Stench. 


End file.
